Brazilian, World Record Holder Etiene Medeiros Tests Positive for Asthma Drug

GloboEsporte.com is reporting that 2016 Brazilian Olympic Team member and World Record holder Etiene Medeiros has failed a doping test. She tested positive in a sample taken on May 8th during an unannounced out-of-competition test. Best Swim is reporting that the test was for the substance fenoterol, used to treat asthma, and both her “A” and “B”samples returned positive.

Medeiros backed out of last week’s Mare Nostrum circuit, citing complications with her asthma.

Neither the swimmer nor her coach are commenting to the press at this time, but Medeiros’ press office said, Medeiros is “quiet and determined to set the record straight and prove her innocence. Meanwhile, she will respect all  the limitation imposed by sports authorities.”

Although the Brazilian Swimming Federation (CBDA) has yet to release an official statement, Medeiros’ club, SESI-SP, issued the following concerning the news:

“The swimmer Etiene Medeiros is one of the SESI-SP pride. World Champion, gold medal at the Pan American Games and record holder in several events, Etienne is an example for hundreds of athletes and thousands of students from SESI São Paulo. His career, a history of effort, dedication and seriousness, shows that it is worth betting on sport and invest in the education of our youth.

We, the SESI-SP family, are on the side of our athlete, and cheering our champion, who will represent us at the Olympic Games in Rio and fight for more medals for Brazil. “

Medeiros’ breakthrough performance came in 2014 when she became short course World Champion in the 50m backstroke, clocking a world record in the process and becoming Brazil’s first ever female World Champion (or individual female Worlds medalist). She went on to become the first Brazilian female swimmer to win swimming gold at a Pan American Games with her 100m backstroke victory in Toronto last summer.

Medeiros was on the psych sheets to compete at last week’s Mare Nostrum circuit, but withdrew from racing as a result of what at the time was called an asthma problem. The 25-year-old is slated to contend the 50m and 100m freestyle events, as well as the 100m backstroke at the Olympic Games.

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SuperRichie
8 years ago

I am starting tonfeel like the Olympics is the special Olympics?! Asthma, heart conditions, anxiety, ADHD, and the “normal” swimmers cant beat them? Very disturbing. So rather than train hard, i should confer with botanist, entomologist and chemist to find the next big thing clock some amazing times and plead ignorant or innocent? Why cant this just be about good old fashioned talent and training?!

Pvdh
8 years ago

….uh ok? Isn’t she supposed to test positive for that?

TAA
8 years ago

I’d like to see TUE information be made public. If only to see what percentage of athletes are using certain drugs. As an example if a drug is used by a high percentage of athletes of a certain country and they ALL claim to have the same medical condition then it would seem rather fishy. You dont even need to do an investigation and I think thats what happened with Meldonium.

swim mom
Reply to  TAA
8 years ago

Exactly. It’s amazing how many Russian athletes have such bad heart problems that they all needed Meldonium!

G.I.N.A.
Reply to  swim mom
8 years ago

The inventor of Meldonium -circa 1980 – says it protects athletes with their hearts under excessive strain , as it did the foot soldiers at altitude in the Afghan war 1979-89. This pro active protection factor is not a concept we in the west abide by although we will get there just as we accept financing anti HIV drugs.

We don’t subscribe to the fact that athletic training leads to heart problems later in life. We get an occasional reminder of an undiagnosed weakness e.g. when a swimmer drowns but maybe Flo Jo was a heart damage rather than drugs. Whilst it is a large population I can think of several Russian athletes who have died young .I also… Read more »

G.I.N.A.
Reply to  G.I.N.A.
8 years ago

Note we do give out anti statins to older ppl like candy .In fact some cardiac docs want everyone over 45 on them . $$$$$$$$$$$$

Shanmac
Reply to  TAA
8 years ago

Disclosure of a TUE at elite level would indeed be interesting as I feel, especially in the case of asthma medication, the percentages would be quite alarming. Also possibly ADHD medication.

weirdo
8 years ago

i agree there are a lot of swimmers who use an inhaler that probably don’t really need it. but they have proper doctor’s documentation.

Attila the Hunt
Reply to  weirdo
8 years ago

Absolutely!
I heard these following doctors can give you “proper doctor’s documentation”:
Dr. Michele Ferrari, Dr. Ba Zhen, Dr. Francesco Conconi, Dr. Wim Sanders, Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes, Dr. Geert Leinders

I’m sure you can find one in your own city who is willing to provide you with “proper doctor’s documentation”.

asthmatic
Reply to  weirdo
8 years ago

Some inhalers are permitted without a TUE. For example the rescue inhaler I’m prescribed and use (rarely) is permitted up to 1600 micrograms per day unless it is in the presence of a diuretic (requires both the salbutamol and diuretic to have TUE’s) (search for Proair or salbutamol on globaldro.org). Since mine is 90 micrograms of albuterol sulfate per puff and at 2 puffs per usual use, that’s 8 uses a day. You’ve already exceeded the manufacturer’s directions at that point and probably need something other a rescue inhaler (which is probably why the standard is set at that level). (They also do note that on globaldro.org in a beta-2 antagonist footnote that if your urine exceeds 1000 nanograms of… Read more »

swim mom
8 years ago

According to Wikipedia, Fenoterol is a β2 adrenoreceptor agonist designed to open up the airways to the lungs. It is classed as sympathomimetic β2 agonist and asthma medication. My understanding is that besides opening airways, it acts like adrenaline, increasing heart rate and muscle contraction power for short periods of time. Probably why it is banned and why it might be popular with shorter distance racers.

Attila the Hunt
Reply to  swim mom
8 years ago

Which may partially explain her incredible progression in the past year or so.

N P
8 years ago

If she does indeed suffer from asthma, this reminds me of Rick DeMont.

RJ Cid
8 years ago

she has asthma and is guilty of taking asthma medication?????

Admin
Reply to  RJ Cid
8 years ago

RJ Cid – we have no independent verification of her asthma status that we’ve seen. In any case, there are many substances that are medically approved to treat certain conditions but not allowed by the World Anti-Doping Code. Because of the nature of asthma and asthma treatments, many asthma treatmenst fall under this category. Athletes can get a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for some banned substances to treat legitimate conditions, but generally that exemption must be applied for before the positive test, not ex-post-facto.

There are some details that need to be sorted out here still. As of now, all we can report with certainty is that she tested positive for a banned substance typically used to treat asthma.

Rafael
Reply to  RJ Cid
8 years ago

According to the most recent news the mistake was that the doctor did a mistake on the TUE (Therapeutic Use Exempection) of Mare Nostrum not citing that Medicine.. Seems that on all other TUE of her from other competitions the Info was correct..

weirdo
Reply to  Rafael
8 years ago

are you biased maybe? she didn’t swim the mare nostrum and tested positive at some other point.

Rafael
Reply to  weirdo
8 years ago

I am just passing the Info I received.. I am not making a judgement..

Rafael
Reply to  Rafael
8 years ago

Maybe the info was wrong about the Mare Nostrum part.. but it seems pretty reliable that was a TUE related problem (Then again I am not judging and saying she is guilty or not)

TAA
Reply to  Rafael
8 years ago

Im sure the athlete is also required to sign the TUE. It would be a huge loophole if the athletes didnt have to sign it and then could later bring up the defense that they never saw what was on the paper that was filed. They are the ones responsible for reporting what goes into their body.

TAA
Reply to  TAA
8 years ago

Maybe she has so many medications listed on the TUE form that she lost track! That must be the answer how else could you make a mistake and omit your only medication.

Attila the Hunt
Reply to  TAA
8 years ago

In the WADA IC report that was just released last week, Over the course of almost 10 years, Sharapova was using 30 (!!!) different substances under the care of Dr. Skalny (there you go, another doctor you can get your “proper documentation” from), including Magnerot, Riboxin and Midronate (meldonium).

So good luck in thinking Efimova is going to swim “clean” in Rio!

Attila the Hunt
Reply to  RJ Cid
8 years ago

Many elite swimmers claim they have asthma so they can take TUE, opening the door to many performance enhancing drugs not available/legal for non-asthmatic swimmers.

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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